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Local dentist releases case study of new treatments for gum disease

July 19, 2019   ·   0 Comments

By Makayla Pereira

An Orangeville dentist has released a new case study titled “Periodontal Plastic Surgery: Gum Graft Techniques for Predictable Outcomes.”

The case study looked into different ways to approach gum graft techniques and what procedures may be best for the patient at hand to solve the issue of gum recession. 

The main point of the case study is to show that the Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST) can be the best option for some patients. The technique was discovered in California a few years ago and since then many dentists have been using it to solve the recession the gums.

Dr. Raj Khanuja is a general dentist in private practice  at Headwaters Dental in Orangeville, Castlemore Dental in Caledon and Flower City Dental in Brampton.

“Gum recession is a very common dental problem and it happens in people of all ages many times people not even aware of it, one of the first signs of gum recession is when the teeth feel sensitive or they look in the mirror and the tooth looks a little longer than the other that’s what we call a gum recession,” explains Dr. Khanuja.

Gum recession can happen for a variety of reasons, it could be that the patient is genetically prone to having thin gums, a possible gum disease itself, the effects of people brushing their teeth too hard or aggressively, or even smoking are all possible causes of gum recession.

As the gums start to recess the bone underneath (that is usually protected by the gums) becomes exposed, as the patients gums are recessing they are also beginning to lose some of the bone and the foundation of the tooth.

Dr. Raj Khanuja says “If not treated or the gums are not reinforced then the bone recession may continue and then eventually the tooth may feel lose in the position and at this point there really isn’t much you can do and the tooth has to come out at this point.”

Although gum techniques have been evolving in the dental world since the 1960s The pinhole surgical technique was a more recent discovery. 

Dr Khanuja explained that with the older techniques, which are still used, “the gum has to be taken from a donor side which is generally the roof of the mouth and then put where the gum recession is to help reinforce it making it thicker to prevent further recession.”

PST is an example of a recent advancement in minimally invasive soft-tissue grafting surgery that combines specialized surgical instrumentation and a modification of the tunnel technique. As a modified tunnel technique, PST uses “pinhole” incisions made in the alveolar mucosa with a syringe needle. The number of pinhole incisions required is determined by the number of teeth that need to be treated, and the incisions are placed 4 mm above the muco-gingival junction, says Dr. Khanuja’s case study.

The case study explains how the patient has to be the right candidate for the procedure, otherwise other techniques like the gum graft must be used to fix recession of the gums.

“If the patient is a candidate for it you make small little holes above the gum where the recession is and you almost pull the gum down in a curtain and cover the recession, so there is no need to take any gum from the roof of the mouth. You can pretty much treat the whole mouth from ear to ear in some sitting and once you create two tiny little holes within the gum tissue.”

The periodontal plastic surgery procedures now allows periodontal plastic surgeons to create the framework for the perfect smile even in the most difficult and compromising conditions and this is exactly what Dr. Khanuja has done with his practice and his experience with the Pinhole Surgical Technique.

Dr Raj Khanuja may be reached by phone at: 647-244-2273 or 905-654-2273.

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